The present invention relates generally to printers, and more particularly to methods for driving a printer in a user terminal. Such printers are particularly well suited for use in gaming machines, vending machines, point-of-sale (POS) terminals, transportation and entertainment ticket machines, and the like.
Ticket printers are useful in a variety of applications. One such application is to print coded tickets or vouchers used in lottery terminals, slot machines and other self-service wagering or transaction (e.g., train, event or airline ticket) apparatus. For purposes of the present disclosure and appended claims, the term “voucher” will be used to mean a printed document, such as a ticket, that has (or potentially has) a meaningful cash value and must be printed using secure technology to prevent counterfeiting. The term “coupon” is used to refer to documents that have at most only a negligible cash value, and which can be printed without the high level of security required for vouchers. It should be appreciated that coupons may be printed using secure technology; however, the level of security will typically be lower than that used in connection with vouchers.
Various printer systems have been proposed for use in self-service terminals, such as for cashless gaming systems used, e.g., at casinos and racetracks. In such systems, a voucher is printed for use by a gaming patron instead of, e.g., tokens, cash, debit cards and credit cards. Such self-service terminals may be controlled, or at least partially controlled, by a Central System Controller (CSC) via a network. The CSC may be situated at the same location as the terminals, or may be remotely located. A remotely located CSC may service different terminal populations at a plurality of facilities (such as different casinos, racetracks, retail lottery establishments, etc.).
A facility that uses the terminals may desire to have the capability for the terminal printers to print items other than the voucher. For example, it may be desired to print coupons for use at the facility. Such coupons may, for example, provide free or discounted food items at the facility. Other types of coupons are also envisioned in order to fulfill e.g., various marketing, advertising, and promotional purposes, such as discounts to future special events, advertising of new products and services, free or discounted parking, hotel room upgrades, travel and entertainment promotions, contest entries, and the like.
In most of the terminals already in the field, there is no way for the facility management to access the printer portion of the terminal to print special coupons that are separate from (and may be unrelated to) the vouchers. In order to provide such a capability, vendors have offered new models of terminals that can print coupons. These new terminals require the use of proprietary software, hardware and/or protocols to enable the terminal printer to print vouchers and coupons. The printing of coupons, when offered, is handled via the secure processing channels used for the vouchers, which vouchers are subject to stricter access control and security requirements. This solution is unacceptable to many facilities because it requires the purchase of new terminals. For a facility that has hundreds of such terminals, such a solution is cost prohibitive.
In the counterpart disclosures from which priority of the present patent application is claimed, a more cost effective way is provided for facilities to print coupons from their terminals. The disclosed system overcomes any need to replace an existing population of terminals. A controller (e.g., a secure controller) that is internal to the terminal (e.g., wagering terminal, POS terminal, or other consumer terminal) is enabled to communicate with the terminal printer to print vouchers, while also allowing a CSC, which is external to the terminal, to communicate with the built-in terminal printer to print coupons and other documents.
The most recent priority application, co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 11/365,751, discloses an invention which provides additional functionality to a peripheral, such as a printer. In particular, the invention disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/365,751 enables downloads, such as updated printer or terminal firmware, to be provided from the CSC or a local computer (e.g., a technician's notebook computer) via a separate port at the peripheral. For example, where the peripheral is a printer, a USB port can be provided in accordance with the invention to accommodate such downloads. A technician can then plug a portable device (e.g., notebook, PDA, tablet computer, flash memory or the like) into the USB port and provide the new software or firmware to the printer.
There are occasions when a printer will have two or more separate ports to accommodate data communication protocols such as RS-232, Netplex, USB or I2C. Each of these protocols is well known in the art, as described in greater detail below. Where it is desired, for example, to provide data to a printer via a Netplex port, and allow new firmware or other data to be downloaded to the printer via a USB port, a mechanism must be provided to switch between the two ports.
Some protocols, such as USB, require specialized and/or dedicated circuitry and cables to be used to reliably communicate signals. The necessary cables to accommodate USB signals may not be provided in existing peripherals, such as printers for a wagering terminal (e.g., slot machine), ticket machine, POS terminal or the like. Since it is desirable to use existing printers rather than replace a population of installed printers with new models, it would be advantageous to provide a means to do so even when the existing printers do not have the necessary cicuitry and cables to support a new protocol, such as USB. For example, existing printers may be configured to receive Netplex, RS-232 and 12C signals, but not USB signals. The invention set forth in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/365,751 allows such printers to also receive USB signals, particularly for the purpose of downloading new firmware over a USB and also provides a way for a signal coming from the USB port to switch the printer to a USB receiving mode, if the printer was previously in another mode of operation, such as Netplex.
The present invention provides additional functionality by enabling a firmware download port on a printer to be used for printer communications, providing, in effect, an additional communications port on the printer. Prior art printers typically have a dedicated firmware download port that is used only for upgrading printer firmware and a dedicated communications port for receiving printer commands. Certain printers, as discussed above in connection with the priority applications, may be provided with two or more communications ports as well as a firmware download port, with the ability to switch between ports depending on the type of communications being received. In each of such printers, only one communications port may be active at a time. It would be advantageous to provide an additional communications port to enable a local controller to communicate with the printer to print a first type of data, while also allowing a central system controller, which is remote from the printer, to communicate with the printer to print a second type of data. It would be further advantageous to enable a firmware download port of such a printer to function as a second communications port.
The present invention provides methods, apparatus and systems with the foregoing and other advantages.